


light, and the shadow it leaves behind

by houndstooth



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Ambiguous Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Light Angst, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26101846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/houndstooth/pseuds/houndstooth
Summary: 7. The Darkness takes and takes and takes.The warrior gives and gives and gives.Elidibus observes many things about the individual that would be remembered as the Warrior of Light.
Relationships: Elidibus & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	light, and the shadow it leaves behind

1\. A warrior rises, and stands apart from the rest of their complacent brethren. They will see to it that the star will not fall to Darkness, that mankind will be saved from the brink of destruction.

The people have been wanting for a figure to look up to in these bleak times, and a glimmer of hope rises in their once shadowed hearts as this hero swears themself to fulfilling this duty.

2\. They do not want to be called a ‘hero’.

_We do not always get what we want_ — but Elidibus gives them this small courtesy after another earnest appeal from them. He will be traveling with them for a long time, after all; better to foster a working relationship with them than a negative one.

“I am not a hero,” they tell him.

The people they’ve helped think otherwise. They do not stop calling them a hero.

Elidibus reserves his judgement. He does not call them ‘hero’, but then—

3\. _What are you?_

4\. It is the first time Elidibus has felt such a way about a sundered creature.

He cannot name it, whatever it is.

He does not think about it.

5\. They travel unfamiliar roads. The weight of their duty presses upon them. They give freely — and often — of their abilities and time to their lessers, all with a smile.

Why do they always smile?

(Will you still be smiling when there is nothing of you left?)

6\. He has yet to see them shed tears.

They have come close. There is only so much an individual can take, and they take far too much. With each perilous step on this journey, Elidibus wonders _when_ , not _if_ , they will break.

And what will become of the pieces.

7\. The Darkness takes and takes and takes.

The warrior gives and gives and gives.

8\. Do heroes have the luxury of breaking apart? Of showing the sides of themselves that are less than perfect?

Elidibus is not sure of this yet.

He is sure the warrior is not sure yet, either.

9\. A promise: _We will make it through._

10\. A realization: They will walk this path until it takes them into the waiting embrace of oblivion.

Or they succeed.

Whichever comes first.

11\. Another death.

This one hurts harder than most. Still, they do not have long to mourn their fallen companion. They are a hero, after all.

The day they are to leave, they wake up in the early morning and stand vigil at the grave till the dawn breaks.

“I will be back,” they promise, voice cracking. “And you will see the dawn break on a world that has been brought back from the brink of destruction. I swear it.”

It is the closest Elidibus has seen them to falling to pieces — but they do not shatter completely.

He is unsure if that is a good thing.

12\. Another request, familiar to his ears. It is said with overwhelming sorrow.

_I am not a hero._ _Do not call me one._

It is still the only thing they have asked of him thus far.

13\. And still, there are no tears.

14\. Of all the sundered — _why you?_

15\. They are suffering. They do their best to hide it.

The salvation of this world requires that of them.

16\. “You really must ask them what they plan to do when the world no longer has a need for them,” Emet-Selch says to him when he and Elidibus cross paths again one day. “I am awfully curious.”

He is entertained by their resilience. He calls them _hero,_ but in that particular way of his that signifies he thinks nothing of their accomplishments. Despite all they have done, they are still sundered.

They are still stumbling in the wake of true perfection.

He exits with a lazy wave through an aetherial portal, but not before turning to glance back at Elidibus with mild amusement in his sharp gaze.

“And, of course, I am curious as to what _you_ will do once they are gone.”

17\. _What will I—_

18\. He is Elidibus, and he will save them. That is his name, and his mission.

19\. As Emissary of the Convocation, it is his duty to steer mankind and the star upon their true course.

He would utilize all at his disposal to do so.

It was why he continued to travel with them. It was why he had approached them in the first place.

Nothing has changed. 

... Has it?

20\. “Do you have friends and family? People that you miss, that you would do anything to see once more?”

He does.

(Doesn’t he?)

Elidibus falters, collects himself before he answers with a voice that slightly shakes. _Yes, he does._

If the warrior notices his pause, they do not bring attention to it. “Then, you understand, right? Why I do it.”

_Why I give so much, and ask for nothing in return._

_Why I have dedicated myself to this path, no matter what._

Elidibus understands.

He is the same.

21\. Yes, yes, it was just them left.

Emet-Selch, Lahabrea, and himself.

When the world was split across ten and three, they were the only ones of the Convocation to be spared such a devastating blow. The others were scattered across the shards, their memories lost and existing as mere fragments of their former selves.

He would do all he could to save them.

22\. An oath: _I will save this world — even if I must forfeit my life._

23\. “I dreamt of the stars falling,” the warrior tells Elidibus one early morning. Dew still clings to the grass. A troubled expression darkens their face as they recall their dream. “I dreamt of the sky falling down upon me, and I could do naught else but watch.”

They pause.

“I was… I was struck with such terrible sorrow. As if I had once more lost someone dear to me. Do you have any idea what it could mean?”

_I do,_ Elidibus wants to say.

“Perhaps it is a recollection of a past life,” he offers instead. He could not tell them the whole truth yet.

They hum, sounding unconvinced. “Perhaps.”

24\. They do not speak of it again. Elidibus does not ask them, though he wants to. He is curious if that is the only thing they can remember, if there are other memories that might shed a light on who they were before.

_I will save you, too,_ he promises.

25\. But they are a hero.

And heroes do not need saving.

26\. A question: _Will you forget me when I am gone?_

27\. And heroes do not die.

28\. Emet-Selch shakes his head. “They are _sundered_ , Elidibus. They will die. Their friends and family will mourn, and then they, too, will die. And so on. What little remains of their deeds will be lost to the flow of time.”

A flicker of indignant denial rises within Elidibus that he smothers immediately. Emet-Selch is right.

Civilizations rise and fall. Heroes are no different.

Still.

_Still._

29\. More battles. More death. More triumph. More failures.

They become stronger because of it. They turn the tide against the Darkness, and the scales begin to tip. They are getting closer and closer to the end.

He still has yet to ask them what they will do afterwards.

30\. “This world will soon have no need for heroes,” they say, a smile on their lips.

_It does. It will._

“I think I will travel the world once more,” they say after a moment of contemplative silence. “I wish to experience it _without_ the looming threat of imminent destruction hanging above me.”

_You can. You will._

31\. The end of their journey approaches. They steel themselves for it. Something in them has changed as they approach the threshold — Elidibus cannot place what it is exactly. 

They carry the hope of mankind with them. The salvation of the world rests upon their shoulders.

It is heavy for one person alone.

(... Still, he is curious: _could he do it, too?_ )

32\. A confession: _I am glad it was you that was at my side._

33\. The Darkness is waiting.

34\. A plea: _You must not die here._

35\. A slow shake of their head, their eyes kind as they share one more night under the sea of bright stars. “I cannot promise you that, my friend.”

They smile, resigned but determined. They will see this through to the end.

His heart aches. 

(Why?)

36\. The Darkness is destroyed.

37\. The work is not yet done, but balance is restored — for now.

Inevitably, it will tip again. Inevitably, the realm will need to be saved again. As long as it remained shattered, as long as Lord Zodiark remained imprisoned, as long as salvation was needed, he would continue to fulfill his duty as Elidibus.

For now, though, the realm enters a period of peace.

38\. _But you are not here to see it._

**Author's Note:**

> yes, i’m still hung up on elidibus looking up to the first warrior of light as a role model. no, i do not think i will get over it.
> 
> i wanted to try something new with this kind of format instead of how i’d typically write. i quite enjoy the results!
> 
> thanks as always for reading!


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